Match-box.



EETS-SHEET l R. DICKSON.

MATCH Box.

Patented May 4, 1915.

3 SH A A ,f s N5 WN bw n w .if %M.\ yh* n \I Qmv @9&4 v s- MAAN V 1 Y E Q N R. DiCKSON.

MATCH BOX.

APPLICATION man 1v1/w23, 1914.

Patented May 4, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

A UUR/VE V8 WMMW 1HE MORRIS PETERS Cov. PHOTO-LITHO., wAsHlNGroN. a Cy MATCH-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led May 23,' 1914. Serial N0. 840,490.

T0 all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, ROBERT DrcxsoN, a subj ect of the King of England, and a resi dent of Hamilton, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and Improved Match Box, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in match boxes, and has for an object to provide an improved structure which will vend matches one at a time, and will also automatically strike or ignite the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vending match box which will disclose to view the matches to be vended, and which is provided with a magazine for reloading the vending part of the box.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a reciprocating member in a vending match box and associated devices for feeding one match at a time to the reciprocating member, whereby a single match may be dispensed upon each reciprocation.

In carrying out the objects of the invention a suitable base is provided on which a housing is mounted, the base and housing being constructed and secured together in any desired manner. The topof the housing may be secured in position by screws or other suitable means so that whenever desired the interior of the housing may be examined, and the magazine arranged there on may be refilled. The housing contains not only a magazine but also is provided with a chute or guideway on one side, whereby the matches may be guided to a proper point, and may be viewed by the operator so'that it may be easily seen at all times whether or not the box contains matches. arranged so that one acts as a lock for allowing only one match to be dispensed at a time, and the other acts as a dispensing device, whereby the match dispensed is also lighted ready for use.

In the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a match box embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, certain parts being broken away; Fig. 3 is a section through Fig. 2 approximately yon l line 3 3; Fig. 4 is a detailed fragmentary View approximately on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a fragmentaryl side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1, certainparts The reciprocating members arey being broken away and the slides being Patented May 4, 1915.

shown in a retracted position; Fig. 6

is a detailed fragmentary sectional view through the upper part of the housing, the same showing the magazine in an elevated position; Fig. 7 is a detailed perspective view of a stopping device for the matches during their discharge.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numeral, 1 indicates a base of any suitable construction provided with ways 2 and 3 in which a sliding member 4 is mounted. l

A pair of springs 5 are provided which are secured at one end to the slide 4, as shown in Fig. 1, and at the opposite end to base 1. These springs are intended to normally maintain the slide 4 in the position shown v in Fig. 1. The slide 4 is provided with a match receiving groove 6 which merges into finger openings 7, whereby the match may be readily grasped and moved out of the slide. One end of the match receiving groove 6 merges into groove 8 (Figs. 3 and 4) which extends longitudinally of the slide, and is designed to accommodate the head of a match after the match has left the guide 9. A spring 10 (Fig. 4) is secured to the base 1 and extends into the slot or groove 8. This spring may be roughened on the outer surface or left smooth, as desired, and is intended to provide sucient friction to cause the ignition of the match as the same passes the spring on its way to the outer position or to the position shown in Fig. 1. Associated with slide 4 is a stationary guide 11 provided with a guiding slot 12, as shown in 12 is maintained continually opposite the guide 9, and at different timesis in registry ywith the slot 6, and with the loading chamber or loading slot 13 in the auxiliary slide a slot 15 through which extends a post 16 held in place by a screw 17. The screw 17 is provided with an enlarged or elongated head 18 designed to act aga-inst the cam surface 19. As shown in Fig. 1 when the slide 4 is moved in the direction of the arrow the same has a considerable movement independent of the auxiliary slide 14, and in fact continuously moves until the post 16 strikes the cam 19, whereupon slide 14 will begin to move and will continue to move until slide 4 has reached its extreme movement, as shown in Fig. 5, whereupon the slot 12 in member 11 will be opposite the slot 6 in Fig. 1.u It will be observedV that the slot 12 is normally supplied with a match, and when slot 6 is brought into registry therewith the match will automatically drop into slot 6. A yielding member, as forinstance, a stop 25 isprovided which acts as a buffer when slide. 4 together with y' slide 14 returns from the position shown 1n Fig. 5 to the position shown in Fig. 1 under the action of springs 5.

The housing 26 is connected to base l in any suitable manner, 1 and is provided with a top 27 which isV held in place vby screws or other suitable means so that when desired the same may be removed for replenishing the magazine 28. The magazine 28 is provided with a back 29 fitting into groove 30,

and with a bottom 31 loosely iittingagainst Y a solid Lfront 32 arranged in grooves 33. Front 32 is permanently held in the position shown in Fig. 1, While the magazine 28 may beV raised and lowered. In front of the front plate 32 is a display plate 34 provided withk an opening k35 through whichv the matches in the guideway 9 may be observed.

It will be noted that the front plate 32 falls short'of theV top of the housingv 26. This r"construction is provided so that the magazineL 28 may be raised as shown in Fig. 6 until some of the matches move out into the guideway 9 and fill the guideway, whereupon the magazine may be again loaded with the remaining matches. As the device Vis usedthe matches in guideway 9 are dispensed, and when empty or almost empty the magazine can be again raised, as shown in Fig. 6 for replenishing the guideway 9. By this means only a single match is vended or dispensed at a time, and yet means areV provided for readily filling the guideway 9.

In order to prevent more than one match being vended at one time a pivotally mounted stop 36 is provided, which stop is formed with bifurcated extensions 37 and 38 (Fig. 7). These bitureated extensions normally straddle a match'as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and hold said match and the matches above the same from falling into the loading chamber or slot 13 or slide 12 while there is a match already in slot 12. The proportionsY of the various parts are such that when the slides4 and 14 are moved rearwardly the slot 13 will be moved out of registry with guideway 9 and slot 12 beforeV slot 6 is brought into registry with the slot 12. This structure is vclearly illustrated in Fig. 5 wherein it will be seen that the member 18 engages cam 19y and raises theV pivotally mounted Astop 36 so that the lowermost match in the guideway 9 is released. Upon the return of the slides 4 and 14 the lowermost match will drop into thev loading chamber or slot 13 and` from thence into .slotg12, and the bifurcated members 37 and 38 will catch the next match and hold the same from movement ask member 18 moves from beneath cam 19 when Vslide 14 is moved Y so that the loading chamber or slot 13 will .be in registry'with guideway 9.

ated as heretofore described. This will al`V low the lowermost match to drop into the slot 6, as shown in Fig. 5. Upon releasing the slide4 the same will automatically move under the action of springs 5 to the position shown'in Fig. 1. Upon Yslide 4 moving-inl,V

this manner the end ofv amatch arranged in slot 6 will contact with the vfriction member or spring 10 and ignition thereof will result. l As the end or head ci the match is in slot or notch 8 the same will burn untilitV reaches the atmosphere, whereupon the match may be removedby placing the lingers in the ylinger notches 7.V It will of Y course be understood that the movement of the slide 4Vfrom the position shown in Fig. 5V

Vback vto the position shown in Fig. 1 is a quick one, and therefore the match will have no time to go out. Y

lli/*hat I claim is-,

, y1'. Ina matchbox of thecharacter dei scribed, a base, `a housing arranged on ,said

base, means associated withy said housing dei'ining a magazine anda match guiding channel leading therefrom, a principal'slide n arranged onl said base, an auxiliary slide arranged in saidvbase, means for connecting the principal slide with; the auxiliary slide, means actuated `by a, projection from the main slideV for regulating the flow of matches from said guiding channel, said primary sliding member being formed with a groove for receiving a match, andmeans for resiliently holding said primary sliding member in a predetermined position.

2. In a match box of the character de-` scribed, a reciprocating dispensing member provided with a match receiving groove, a guiding slot co-actmg with said groove, a Y

rousing adapted to contain matches, means for directing a stream of matches from said housing to said guiding slot, means for allowing one match to enter said guiding slot at one time, and means covering said guiding slot While the same is in registry with the groove in said reciprocating member.

3.' In, a match box of the character described, a housing provided with a guiding channel for matches, a pivotally mounted stop arranged to hold said matches against movement when in one position, and to allow the lowermost of said matches to move downwardly when in another position, means formed with a guiding slot for receiving said lowermost match, a reciprocating sliding member provided with a match receiving groove, a projection extending from said reciprocating member adapted to engage and move said pivotally mounted match stop, and means actuated by said reciprocating member for covering said guiding slot when the match receiving groove in said reciprocating member is in registry with the guiding slot.

4L. In a match vending boX of the characterl described, a housing provided with a match guiding channel, said channel being open on one side at the top, a magazine arranged in back of said channel formed with an open side facing said channel, said magazine being adapted to be reciprocated, whereby matches therein may be raised so as to pass through said opening into said channel, means for feeding one match at a time from said channel, and means for abrading each of said matches as the same is fed from said channel to a point of utilization, whereby the match is delivered in a burning condition.

5. In a match boX of the character described, a receiver, means for guiding matches from said receiver, a pivotally mounted stop co-acting with said guiding means, said pivotally mounted stop being provided with bifurcated extensions adapted to straddle the lowermost match when the stop is in one position, and to release said lowermost match when in anotherrposition, one portion Vof said bifurcated extensions moving beneath the remaining matches so as to allow only the lowermost match to pass from said guiding means, a reciprocating member for receiving and delivering said lowermost match, and means actuated by said reciprocating member for moving said stop.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the 6. In a match boX of the character described, a housing provided with a match guiding member, means defining a guiding slot, a reciprocating delivery member provided with a groove designed to register at times with said guiding slot so as to receive a match therefrom, means for covering said guidingslot when the guiding slot is in registry with said groove, and means engaging the end of said match for abrading the same immediately previous to the delivery of the match bby said reciprocating delivery member.

7. In a match scribed, a reciprocating member provided with a match receiving groove, a stationary member arranged above said reciprocating member, said stationary member being formed with a guiding slot, a reciprocating member above said stationary member, said last mentioned reciprocating member being provided with a loading chamber normally in line with said guiding slot, means connected with said rst mentioned reciprocating member after the first mentioned reciprocating member has moved a predetermined distance, vvhereby the loading chamber in the second mentioned reciprocating member is moved from registry with said guiding slot before the groove in the first mentioned reciprocating member has been brought into registry with said guiding slot, means for feeding matches into said guiding slot through the loading chamber in the second mentioned reciprocating member, and means for returning said reciprocating members to their former position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ROBERT DICKSON.

Witnesses:

NELLIE J. DroKsoN, WV. M. DIoKsoN.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

boX of the character de-y 

